The 4-H Weaving Project

The first meeting of the 4-H weaving project was very interesting. The class began with the teacher, showing different samples of woven and knitted items and pointing out the differences – woven items are interlaced whereas knit items are interlooped.

Image result for knit closeupImage result for woven closeup

This one is knit…                                                                        And this one is woven.

After the introduction, the new members were set up on a loom for a hands-on learning experience. The new students played around with different patterns (like twill, plainweave and basket weave), while the more experienced weavers  chose the colors for their scarves. One weaver chose the colors gray, black, white, and blue. Another weaver chose a multicolored design on a white background. By the end of the class, each and every weaver will have a beautifully handcrafted piece of fabric for display or practical use. Over the course of the project’s three meetings, emerging weavers will hone their manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, and communication skills while being creative and learning every step of a process that may have contributed more to civilization than fire or the wheel (yes, that was overly dramatic). But seriously, weaving is an ancient art and a way to exercise your brain while actually doing something productive and learning a real skill, not just how to fill in a Sudoku. For more information on the weaving project, go here.

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